The Gift
by Princess Pinky
Summary: Madison and her step-mom have a heart to heart and Madison realizes the true importances behind Jack's gift.


**A/N: **Just something I knew I had to write for Jadison.

_**The Gift**_

"Ooh, that's pretty! Is that yours? Where did you get it?"

Madison looked up from her laptop to see her step-mother dangling the silver seagull necklace that Jack had given her in front of her face. She shifted her eyes down, not quite looking at the English Lit essay she'd been working on, but just enough to avoid eye contact with her father's wife.

"Yeah," she mumbled, "Jack gave it to me."

Emily Cooperstein lifted her eyes in surprise, but delighted surprise. "Oh! Madison, that's wonderful!" She giddily stole a seat on the couch next to her auburn haired step-daughter and admired the necklace against her palm. Then her Asian eyes slanted even more in puzzlement. "Wait, but if Jack gave it to you, why aren't you wearing it?"

Madison nervously ran her hand through her hair. "It's uh…an albatross."

"It looks like a seagull to me."

"That's what Jack said, but-"

"Are you ashamed of it?"

"Wha-" Madison looked up, her eyes giving her away. "Of course I'm not! My boyfriend - who I _love_ - gave it to me!"

"Which is all the more reason to wear it, don'tcha think?" Emily traced the sleek silver with the edge of her fingernail. "You know that seagulls are a symbol of freedom, don't you?"

"Like freedom of a relationship?"

"No, like personal freedom and empowerment. Triumph over adversity! And you know, in Native American culture the seagull on the totem represents emotional healing and the teachings of fairness and respect, which is a base for any relationship."

Madison angled her head, suddenly more curious in the necklace. "How do you know all that stuff?"

Emily laughed and a faint blush traipsed her cheeks. "I was a bit of a peace and love flower child hippie back in the day," she admitted sheepishly. "I went through a phase where I really got into other cultures and religions, especially Earthy religions." She offered the necklace to Madison and the latter accepted it.

"So…so maybe by giving this to me, Jack's saying he thinks I'm triumphant?"

"And empowered. That's a pretty good compliment, actually. And maybe he's even saying that _you_ empower _him_."

"And that I heal his heart," Madison nodded. Her eyes were becoming bright - and if she admitted it - a bit glassy. "Plus, if fairness and respect is the platform of a relationship, I guess I owe it to him to respect this necklace and what it stands for." She gave her step-mother a sideways glance. "It was his mom's, you know. Jack's step-dad gave it to her the first time he told her he loved her and she had it ever since."

"Then Jack just gave it to you?" Emily questioned, shocked.

"Well, no, not exactly. He said she wanted me to have it. His mom really seems to like me." Madison shrugged her shoulders. "And then when Jack gave it to me, he told me he loved me too, and that he wanted to do this right."

Emily wiped the corner of Madison's eye with her thumb. "I think that's lovely, Madison."

"Do you…" she held the necklace out to her step-mother. "Do you think you could clasp it for me?"

Emily beamed, "Of course!" She gingerly took the necklace, pushed Madison's dark red hair out of the way, and secured the clasp behind her neck. "There," she spoke as she smoothed Madison's hair.

The redhead ran her fingers across the seagull, enjoying the feeling of the warm metal against her chest. "I guess it is more beautiful than I originally thought." Madison wiped her eye with the back of her hand. "Um, no offense or anything, but do you mind?" She indicated the web camera on her laptop.

"Ooh," Emily whispered knowingly. "Of course. I'll just…go find pursue the television in the other room." She winked as she left.

When Madison heard her parents' door close at the end of the hall, she quickly turned on her web camera. With a growing smile on her face, she picked up her cell phone and typed out a quick text message and then eagerly waited. Five minutes passed before a box popped up in the corner of her screen, containing Jack's worried face.

"Madison? What's wrong? I got your text, it's labeled 'Important!' Are you okay?"

Madison grinned into her webcam. "I'm fine, silly." She adjusted herself, revealing the necklace hanging against her creamy flesh. "I just wanted to thank you again for the necklace." She batted her eyelashes. "Are you alone?"

Jack coughed. "Uh, just one second!" He jumped up, disappearing from the screen momentarily. There was a clicking sound, then he returned. "I am now."

Madison brought her fingers to her lips, kissed them, then touched the seagull, made another kissing face, then brought her hand up to her lips and blew a kiss into the camera.

Correspondingly, Jack held up his hands as if he was catching a football, grinned, and brought his hands to his mouth. "I think that's the second best catch I ever made."

"What was the first?" she giggled curiously.

"A gorgeous redhead who's name starts with 'M' and ends 'stein.'"

"It might not always end in 'stein,'" she suggested with fluttering lashes. "I mean…if this necklace is as lucky for us as it was for your mom and Reverend Stone."

"So you really like it then?" he asked guardedly. "I was a little worried when you left, you seemed like-"

"I love it," Madison cut in. She held her hand over the seagull protectively. "And _I love you_ for giving it to me." She leaned into the screen. "I love _you, Jack Pappas_." She pressed her rosy lips to the web cam for an elongated moment, then pulled back to see Jack grinning.

"You have no idea how much I wish you were here right now."

"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea." Her hair bounced around her shoulders as she nodded. "Meet me early on the football field tomorrow morning," she winked. "I want to think you properly and in person."

"How early?" Jack asked eagerly. He was fidgeting on the screen.

"As early as you want."

Jack grinned. "How about six-thirty sharp?"

"Perfect."

"Hey Madison?"

"Hmm?"

Jack brushed his hand over his mouth and then arched his hand back as if he was throwing a football, then shoved it forward at the screen.

Madison held up her hand, catching his football-thrown kiss in an impeccably girly gesture before bringing it to her lips and grinning broadly. "I'll see you tomorrow," she grinned. "Don't be late!" With that, she switched off her web cam and set her laptop on the ground, then she fell into the couch cushions and squealed as she kicked her legs into the air and shook her arms. When her excitement had finally boiled over, she drew her legs up onto the couch and rested her head on the armrest, while she adoringly fingered her seagull gift.


End file.
